The present invention relates to a machine tool having a cutting unit which moves in a longitudinal direction.
A machine tool has been already known, which comprises a bed, longitudinal guiding tracks formed on the bed, a cutting unit moving in a longitudinal direction along the guiding tracks, and a cutting part (including a spindle axle and a cutting edge) formed in front of the cutting unit for processing a work.
This kind of machine tool has a cover device to prevent cutting chips from splashing, but can not prevent them from failing and attaching on the guiding tracks.
Accordingly, another exclusive cover is provided to surround the above-mentioned guiding tracks. This cover is retractable in order to move the cutting unit in a longitudinal direction, made of metal so as to bear heated cutting chips.
The present invention seeks to provide a machine tool which does not need an exclusive cover to surround the above-mentioned guiding tracks.
To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized by a machine tool comprising a bed having right and left side parts and a longitudinal guiding track formed on an upper face of each right and left side part, a cutting unit hung and supported by the guiding tracks, moving in a longitudinal direction, and having a cutting part at its front, and a work fixing table integrally attached on the bed. In addition, cover faces are provided between the cutting unit and the work fixing table to surround an upper face as well as right and left side faces of the cutting part, and a cover device is provided to form a working space with only the bottom open relative to the cover faces, the work fixing table and the cutting unit. Here, right and left side faces of the cover faces hang below the guiding tracks inside the right and left side parts of the bed.
The above-mentioned cover device, work fixing table, and cutting unit define a working space and prevent cutting chips generated therein from splashing outside, leading them downward between the right and left side parts of the bed. Therefore, the cutting chips do not splash towards the right and left guiding tracks nor deposit near the guiding tracks, where cleaning is hard.
The above-mentioned invention is concreted as follows.
That is to say, the cover device is engaged to either the cutting unit or the work fixing table. Therefore, a particular supporting system is not necessary to support the cover device.
Moreover, a cutting chips carrying device is provided downward between the right and left side parts of the bed to receive the cutting chips and carry them to a fixed place in the outside. Therefore, the cutting chips generated during processing are completely and promptly taken out completely and promptly without treatments such as sweeping and gathering.
According to the above-mentioned present invention, as no heated cutting chips contact with the guiding tracks, the machine tool does not need an exclusive cover for the guiding tracks to prevent the cutting chips from depositing and attaching thereto. Besides, as the cover device leads the cutting chips to fall downward between the right and left side faces of the bed, the cutting chips are hardly scattered, thereby effecting an easy cleaning of the cutting chips after the work is over.
Moreover, it is preferable to provide a safety cover near the guiding tracks to avoid any danger at an operating part. However, it is not necessary to provide it a countermeasure against heat like one necessary for a cover for heated cutting chips. Consequently, a simple cover is sufficient for this machine tool. Furthermore, a supporting system to support the cover device is simple by using the cutting unit and the work fixing table. In addition, it is possible to completely and rapidly remove the cutting chips produced during the process without sweeping and gathering them from every corner of the machine tool.